Whirlpool Wheel Hub by Changshu Institute of Technology

Whirlpool Wheel Hub by Changshu Institute of Technology is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Bronze A' Design Award in Vehicle Parts, Auto Accessories and Care Products Design Competition Category.

BronzeVehicle Accessory· 2023

Whirlpool Wheel Hub

by Changshu Institute of Technology

Client: Changshu Institute of Technology

Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Vehicle Accessory Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #150914

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Whirlpool Wheel Hub

Whirlpool is a wheel hub designed to cool brake discs. The spokes have a propeller-like shape inspired by aircraft propellers. During braking, friction between the brake pads and the brake disc raises the temperature sharply, and the high heat shortens the life of the disc. The form of Whirlpool collects the air around the wheel and guides it toward the center of the brake disc. The airflow cools the disc while the vehicle is moving. The hub is made of titanium alloy and is produced by casting and CNC machining.

The Recognition

About the Bronze A' Design Award

Whirlpool Wheel Hub is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Whirlpool Wheel Hub is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Whirlpool Wheel Hub splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.

Image Analysis

Color Temperature: CoolSymmetry: PartialBackground: No Clear Backdrop

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Conventional wheels do not have the function of cooling the brake discs. This wheel hub has a good air diversion function, which can quickly collect the air around the wheel hub and spread to the center of the disc, which can extend the life of the brake disc by cooling.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 432mm x Depth 203mm x Height 432mm.
Tags: Wheel Hub, Whirlpool, Cool, Titanium, Brake Discs
Production Technology: This wheel is made of titanium alloy material, using pouring and CNC processes, taking into account the function and aesthetics of the product.
Design Challenge: How to use the knowledge of fluid mechanics to cool high-speed air vortex and high-temperature brake discs is the most tuned part of the entire design. Through continuous testing, the design team finally found a more ideal wheel shape.
Research: The research of this project is mainly to understand the defects of the product through literature reading, and to evaluate and test the 3D model virtually through the evaluation module in Alias software.
Inspiration: When the car brakes, the temperature of the brake disc rises sharply due to the high-speed friction of the brake disc by the brake pad, which will greatly affect the life of the brake disc. So our team wanted to design a hub that could cool the brake disc when braking. The design of the wheels is inspired by the propellers of an aircraft.
Project Duration: The project started in October 2022 in Changshu and finished in December 2022 in Changshu
Operation Flow: The spokes of this hub are made of a propeller-like structure. When running at high speeds, the hub can cool the high temperatures caused by braking by drawing in air.
Image Credits: Image #1: Creator Liao Guoxin, Wheel, 2022.